Four teenage duck hunters were rescued from a chilly northern Minnesota lake after their boat capsized, Beltrami County authorities said Tuesday.

The drama unfolded shortly after sunset Monday near Woodhaven Resort on Three Island Lake in Port Hope Township, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The hunters were identified as Mitchell J. Kohler, 19 of Wyoming, Minn.; Collin K. Johnson, 19, of Forest Lake; Chase D. Chamberlain, 19, of Forest Lake; and Hunter W. Smith, 18, of Stacy, Minn.

Witnesses at the scene said the hunters had personal flotation devices but were not wearing them when the boat tipped over about 200 yards from shore, tossing the four into 10 to 12 feet of water, the Sheriff's Office said.

The resort's owner and a bystander headed out in a boat to aid the hunters, followed by rescue personnel from several agencies.

Once back at shore, the four were treated for exposure, the Sheriff's Office added.

Terry Sauer
The hunters who fell into the lake had access to flotation devices but did not use them.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482